In an effort to combat unsportsmanlike habits among its competitive player base in Overwatch, Blizzard Entertainment has announced the introduction of permanent bans starting on September 27th.
Those who earn seasonal bans will find that three such bans will make them eligible for a permanent Competitive Play ban. Naturally, this means you’ll be unable to play in a Competitive match ever again.
And this isn’t a consecutive system – earning a ban in the first season, then another in the second season and a third in season four will still qualify players for a permanent ban. Once banned, an account cannot return to Competitive Play. It’s gone for good.
Oh well. At least there’s always Quick Play (which can also get you banned if you pull any shenanigans there so keep that in mind).
This move is the latest in Blizzard trying to combat toxicity and abusive players. Director Jeff Kaplan himself addressed players directly on the matter and a reporting system was also recently added for Xbox One and PS4 players.